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N. B. Aitchison

Scotland's Stone of Destiny: Myth, History and Nationhood Hardcover – 27 April 2000

by N.B. Aitchison (Author)

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Scotland's Stone of Destiny., hardcover, Good, Unclipped d/w.

Print length

176 pages
Language

English
Publisher

The History Press Ltd
Publication date

27 April 2000
Dimensions

18.42 x 1.91 x 25.4 cm
ISBN-10

0752414658
ISBN-13

978-0752414652
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Product description

From the Back Cover

Scotland's 'Stone of Destiny' is the most famous symbol of both Scottish nationhood and the British monarchy. Nick Aitchison has produced the first full-length, fully researched and fully illustrated study of its history, mythology and cultural significance.

Having first traced the origin, evolution and function of myths surrounding the Stone and the ancient prophecy that gives the stone its name, he examines the stone itself - its appearance, geology and source - and for the first time reveals the Stone's original function and the origins of its symbolic sanctity. The Stone's much-disputed authenticity is then assessed - with the conclusion that the Stone is the genuine inauguration stone of the Scottish kings seized by Edward I in 1926.

The Stone's historic contexts, first at the Pictish and Scottish royal centre at Scone and subsequently at Westminster Abbey, and its role in royal inauguration and coronation rituals, are then discussed. This includes an analysis of the rich symbolism surrounding the Stone and its changing nature over time. The final chapter attempts to return the Stone to Scotland, from unsuccessful medieval efforts, through its brief but celebrated retrieval in 1950-1, to its restoration and installation in Edinburgh Castle in 1996. Throughout, the importance of the Stone during the Scottish War of Independence is emphasised and the book concludes with a discussion of the Stone's symbolic significance with the creation of the Scottish parliament.

About the Author

Born in Falkirk, Nick Aitchison took his degree (in Archaeology & Scottish History) and PhD at the University of Glasgow. His research interests focus on kingship, royal sites and related mythology in early medieval Scotland and Ireland. He is the author of Macbeth: Man and Myth and is a consultant for a Channel 4 programme on Macbeth.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ The History Press Ltd (27 April 2000)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0752414658
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0752414652
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 18.42 x 1.91 x 25.4 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 533,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 1,061 in History of Scotland
- 4,777 in Archaeology (Books)

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M. Steedman

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Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 11 August 2012

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A very poor review of the myth and legend sourounding the stone.

The author clearly believes the stone, currently in Edinburgh Castle, is the correct true stone of history. Anything that suggests otherwise is just plain wrong and quickly dismissed as fantasy.

In the book, "the life of Columba" written by one of Columbas followers in the sixth century a scene is described where St Columba converts the heathen King of the Picts. The king is sitting on a black stone throne. This clearly, according to this author, cannot be the first mention of the stone in history, as the description is nothing like the stone in the castle.

The author goes on to dismiss the great seals of the kings of Scotland which may show something that could be a stone, as poor copies of old English seals, but at no time does he show the seals that he states were copied, we are expected to take his word for it.

I realise that the stone cannot be an easy thing to write about and myths surrounding it make it impossible to come to conclusions, other than the simple one. Does it really matter if the Stone in the Castle is the same one that Alexander III was crowned on?

But this book adds nothing. Indeed if the last chapter had not refered to the return of the stone at the end of last century iI would have dismissed the book as propoganda by the dean of westminster.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 15 October 2015

Anyone looking in this book for support for ancient legends will be disappointed. Myths that the Stone of Scone was Jacob's Pillow, or was brought from Egypt/Spain/Ireland/Iona in ancient times are examined but discounted. This is a clear-sighted study with no fluff. For anyone interested in the place of the Stone of Scone in the long tale of Scottish independence, it is essential reading. Aitchison makes a potentially dry subject accessible and intriguing without resorting to gimmicks.

More myths have perhaps become attached to the Stone than any other object in the United Kingdom. They contradict each other, of course. One chapter of the book is devoted to outlining them, tracing their origins, and pinning down the earliest date they can be traced to. Many date back only to centuries AFTER the Stone was brought to Westminster Abbey. What becomes clear is that the early history of the Stone is shrouded in mystery, but that nothing in the myths provides any credible source for illuminating that mystery.

Aitchison moves on to physical examinations of the Stone, and the earliest of these take place in the Victorian period. Here again we have contradiction and the attempt by some 'experts' to prove an origin for the Stone in the Holy Land or Egypt. Sadly for such fantasists, the only coherent match for the stone of the Stone is in quarries a short cart journey from Scone itself. It seems even potentially credible ideas that the Stone came from Ireland, Iona or even Argyll have to be abandoned. Examination of the wear and working of the Stone's surface does reveal, however, that it was already very old when Edward I had away with it in 1296. As so much of the mystery has already been dispelled, I won't spil the reader's enjoyment by revealing Aitchison's conclusions here.

The author goes on to investigate inauguration ceremonies and the role of stones similar to that of Scone in their ritual. This is in many ways the most interesting part of the book, and gives the reader a great deal of insight into how the Stone became such a numinous object. The history of the Stone as part of the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey, and the various theorisations and myths that have accumulated around it in the centuries from 1296 on, form the next part of the tale. From this he moves to the role of the Stone in the struggle for Scottish independence, its theft and return in the 1950s, and its final return to Edinburgh Castle in 1996.

There remains, for those who would claim a less mundane origin for the Stone, the theory that the stone carried off by Edward I was a substitute, the real stone remaining hidden. Fuel is given to this theory by the discrepancies between the early descriptions of the Stone and the actual appearance of that taken by Edward I. Aitchison is able to show that most tales of this sort are either modern fantasies or hoaxes, and ascribes the discrepancies to the fact that early writers who had never seen the Stone described what they assumed it ought to be like, including the often-repeated categoristaion of it as chair-shaped, and of marble. Of course the matter cannot be proven, though he does point out that two of Edward's advisors had some experience of the original Stone. The counter to this is that Edward, fooled out of the real Stone, put forward the fake as genuine. A significant argument against the substitution theory lies in the legendary prophecy, however. This said that wherever the Stone was, the Scots would rule, and the general tenor of Scottish opinion (the return of the Stone was never demanded in the pre-modern era) was that Edward had scored an own-goal, ensuring that England would in due course be rules by Scottish kings, Not surprisingly, much was made of this after the accession of James I and VI, when the prophecy was fulfilled.

The book is very well illustrated throughout, with a bundle of high-quality colour plates bound in the centre of the book, and there is a selct bibliography and a very full index

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 17 January 2013

This is a review of the 2009 edition of a book that originally was published in 2000. Appropriately, I bought it in the shop at Scone Palace. There are seven chapters. The book is profusely illustrated in black and white throughout. In addition there are twenty-seven well-chosen colour plates.

This is a comprehensive, scholarly, and yet popularly-written review of Scotland's coronation stone. In his preface Nick Aitchison asks, "Why should an ostensibly unremarkable block of sandstone have such a long and auspicious royal past and yet still provoke popular passions and controversy?"

In his first chapter - `The Name and Prophecy of the Stone' - Aitchison traces and explains the stone's origins. The author points out that prior to its removal in 1296 the stone was unnamed; now it is most popularly known as 'the stone of destiny', but that name only came into use in the mid-nineteenth century. However, this name "is now so well established ... that to abandon it would not only be pointless and confusing, but would also deny the significance of the prophecy which has been intimately associated with the Stone [note the capital] throughout its recorded history", viz. since 1296.

The stone's supposed mythical origins are traced in chapter two: "In the absence of a documented early history for the Stone, mythology has filled the void" and is now central to its significance. The earliest surviving mythical reference to explain its origin dates to 1301. The myths intertwine the stone's origins with those of the Scots themselves, involving such proposed homelands as Egypt, Spain, and Ireland. Modern myths proposed for the stone's origin are also reviewed.

The stone itself is placed under the microscope in chapter three, for, "Regardless of its mythical origins, the Stone of Destiny's appearance and geology are central to determining its physical origins, function and authenticity." A detailed examination of the stone's features and geology then ensues. Aitchison concludes that it was almost certainly quarried from or near Scone. As to its original function, it may have been an altar but also proposes that, "The Stone's form and the patterns of wear it exhibits are consistent with its function as a capping stone providing access to a sub-floor feature", such as a crypt.

The stone was taken from Scone by Edward I. Did he take the right one? Moreover, the stone was taken from Westminster Abbey in 1950. Was the original stone returned? Thus, the question of the stone's authenticity is pertinent and is addressed in the fourth chapter: "Uncertainties abound ... The Stone's status, genuine or fake, demands analysis." Aitchison reviews the data in some detail and concludes that Edward I took the right stone and that this very same stone was returned to Westminster in 1950.

Chapter five is entitled `The Stone at Scone', the author asking why was Scone so important. Now, "Scone's only visible link with its royal past is the moot Hill". Aitchison writes, "Although the archaeological investigation of Scone Abbey has only just begun, initial results are encouraging." (If a crypt is found with an entrance whose dimensions that match the stone's, then the author's argument is made.) He dissects the evidence for and the elements of Scottish kingship ceremonies. It was interesting to read of the carved footprint in stone, as a similar feature exists at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, closer to my own home.

Speaking as an Englishman, it was also enlightening to read how Scotland evolved a different model of kingship from England. The latter's was based on Carolingian designs, whereas Scotland's evolved from an original Pictish/Scottish creation. `The Stone at Westminster' is the title of the sixth chapter. Aitchison reviews the evidence of its transport thereto as well as its presence and use in subsequent coronations of English and British kings.

The final chapter sees the stone's return to Scotland unofficially in 1950 and officially in 1996. He details the comic events that gave rise to the successful theft in 1950. He uses the word `theft', but was not the stone stolen by the English in the first place? There is a legal case that ownership of the stone can hardly be claimed by the English under modern law, a point made plain by the fact that no charges were ever brought against those who succeeded in 1950 and those who subsequently made attempts to take the stone back to Scotland.

It is interesting that when John Major returned the stone to the Scots in 1996, a consultation paper sought comments on where in Scotland such a national symbol should be housed. There were only 113 responses. One has to question therefore how great a symbol the stone now has in Scottish consciousness.

The book comes with an extensive bibliography. There is an index, but alas it seems to be two pages out: for example, where it references page 100, the reference itself is on page 102!

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Scotland's Stone of Destiny: Myth, History and Nationhood Hardcover – 27 April 2000

Product description

From the Back Cover

About the Author

Product details

About the author

N. B. Aitchison

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